Looking for advices for my second playthrough (especially party suggestion)

[marcnivar]

Bought the game once it was released and finished my first playthrough many years ago. I was a mage and my party members were Eder, Durance, Grieving Mother, Pellegina, Aloth. Completed POE2 with the same MC, Eder, Aloth, Pellegina and Xoti.

 

I didn't try the expansions for POE1 and I heard that it was highly recommended. I'm still considering whether  I should start a new game with different companions for POE1 and use the new MC to start another playthrough in POE2 when the expansions are released.

 

So, some questions here, kindly advise me:

 

1) I know that White March 1+2 are good, but how about the main content, are there many new contents comparing to the firstly release version?

a) Any new quests / area in Act 1, 2 and 3?

b) I heard that the stronghold content has been improved, may I know what has been added?

c) How about the combat experience / difference compared to the first release?

 

2)  I really like companions' interjections in the main story / side quests. Do the DLC companions interject as frequently as the original companions outside of White March?

 

3) For story / banter / interjection, which of the following companions are most recommended?

- Devil of Caroc, Maneha, Zahua, Hiravias, Sagani, Kana 

 

4) I remember that Eder, Durance, Grieving mother and Aloth have quite good story, interesting personality / setting and interjections. Are the remaining companions stated above have similar level of story / interjections? I worry that their contents will be too disappointing for a new playthrough, because I heard some companions do not have as many dialogues as the better written companions such as those that I had experienced during my first playthrough. 

 

5) Party advice for battle (normal difficulty): My companions options are Devil of Caroc, Maneha, Zahua, Hiravias, Sagani, Kana , and for MC, I'm considering Paladin or Monk, with a preference to monk (since I never play a monk MC in any crpg before)

a) Can a party with two monks (MC and Zahua) without warrior / paladin tank and deal good damage at the front line?

b) If I choose monk as MC, kindly advise me on the recommended roles that I should have for my companions. It looks like the companions stated above are lacking of control / healing / buffing from classes such as paladin / priest / mage. So I'm not sure whether this party can survive properly under normal difficulty.

 

Long questions and appreciate your help:)

Edited May 28, 2018 by marcnivar

[Hulk'O'Saurus]

Gee... I can't really say anything else than, why not try PotD and Trial of Iron?

[Crazy Tuvok]

1) If I understand this correctly you want to know what has been patched since your first playthrough What release version did you play? I.e., how many patches ago? I mean you can always look at the patch release notes to see what has been added / changed.

 

2) Not as much, tho the content is as good as the original NPCs in terms of banter.

 

3) I'm not the one to answer this as I generally swap NPCs given my mood. I really like all the companions and use them all. I usually keep a core PC, Durance, Eder, Aloth party with the last two slots depending.

 

4) Banter wise yes they have a bit less, but story wise they are, I think ,superb. I liked all of their quests a lot. I used the new companions almost exclusively when I was in the WM.

 

5) You will have no and I mean no problems for frontlines with two monks. They are devastating.

The mix you have there is pretty good you can get all the spell support (including healing) with Hiravias and Kana (can always craft scrolls don't forget). And I have played with just about every mix of party and have never had a problem surviving with any of them. Some mixes require more creative thinking and thinking differently about tactics, but having used all the companions and in plenty of mixtures all were able to hold their own.

[marcnivar]

1) If I understand this correctly you want to know what has been patched since your first playthrough What release version did you play? I.e., how many patches ago? I mean you can always look at the patch release notes to see what has been added / changed.

 

2) Not as much, tho the content is as good as the original NPCs in terms of banter.

 

3) I'm not the one to answer this as I generally swap NPCs given my mood. I really like all the companions and use them all. I usually keep a core PC, Durance, Eder, Aloth party with the last two slots depending.

 

4) Banter wise yes they have a bit less, but story wise they are, I think ,superb. I liked all of their quests a lot. I used the new companions almost exclusively when I was in the WM.

 

5) You will have no and I mean no problems for frontlines with two monks. They are devastating.

The mix you have there is pretty good you can get all the spell support (including healing) with Hiravias and Kana (can always craft scrolls don't forget). And I have played with just about every mix of party and have never had a problem surviving with any of them. Some mixes require more creative thinking and thinking differently about tactics, but having used all the companions and in plenty of mixtures all were able to hold their own.

 

1) Played without any patch and completed it when the first patch was released. 

 

2) Do you mean DLC companions will interject in Quests outside of White March but not as much as the original companions?

 

5) I tried to find some recommended builds for monk but I found that most of the builds are using godlike race for their racial ability or something like that... Not sure if the monk is good if I copy those for my human monks. As for my human MC, I'm looking for build suggestion that is good in tanking / damage with light armor / robe + fists only (role playing purpose). Any advice?

[dreamrider]

Try Boeroer's "Witch Doctor" Monk build (or really, any of his Monk builds.) 

The Witch Doctor is written up and optimized for a boreal dwarf, but a human should still work fine. 

You might have to also vary the culture to optimize your favored attributes and the background to round out your starting Skills, since those may change a bit with human vice boreal dwarf.

 

Be aware, The Long Pain that the Witch Doctor is optimized for is a newer and rather radical, powerful Monk ability. 

But since you have not played a Monk before that disconcert you much.

[Blovski]

Bought the game once it was released and finished my first playthrough many years ago. I was a mage and my party members were Eder, Durance, Grieving Mother, Pellegina, Aloth. Completed POE2 with the same MC, Eder, Aloth, Pellegina and Xoti.

 

I didn't try the expansions for POE1 and I heard that it was highly recommended. I'm still considering whether  I should start a new game with different companions for POE1 and use the new MC to start another playthrough in POE2 when the expansions are released.

 

So, some questions here, kindly advise me:

 

1) I know that White March 1+2 are good, but how about the main content, are there many new contents comparing to the firstly release version?

a) Any new quests / area in Act 1, 2 and 3?

b) I heard that the stronghold content has been improved, may I know what has been added?

c) How about the combat experience / difference compared to the first release?

 

2)  I really like companions' interjections in the main story / side quests. Do the DLC companions interject as frequently as the original companions outside of White March?

 

3) For story / banter / interjection, which of the following companions are most recommended?

- Devil of Caroc, Maneha, Zahua, Hiravias, Sagani, Kana 

 

4) I remember that Eder, Durance, Grieving mother and Aloth have quite good story, interesting personality / setting and interjections. Are the remaining companions stated above have similar level of story / interjections? I worry that their contents will be too disappointing for a new playthrough, because I heard some companions do not have as many dialogues as the better written companions such as those that I had experienced during my first playthrough. 

 

5) Party advice for battle (normal difficulty): My companions options are Devil of Caroc, Maneha, Zahua, Hiravias, Sagani, Kana , and for MC, I'm considering Paladin or Monk, with a preference to monk (since I never play a monk MC in any crpg before)

a) Can a party with two monks (MC and Zahua) without warrior / paladin tank and deal good damage at the front line?

b) If I choose monk as MC, kindly advise me on the recommended roles that I should have for my companions. It looks like the companions stated above are lacking of control / healing / buffing from classes such as paladin / priest / mage. So I'm not sure whether this party can survive properly under normal difficulty.

 

Long questions and appreciate your help:)

1) there's a little additional stuff - Stronghold has a nice little quest attached, adventures/visitors system, resting and UI improvements. Nothing game-changing but it does make it feel less empty. Combat experience is way better due to immunities being added and some major system and balance improvements (like, didn't PER used to add deflection IIRC on top of already being the best stat in the game?). There's also an additional merchant with Deadly Deadfire carrying some interesting and/or OP items.

2) short answer is no. 

3) I liked the Devil of Caroc a lot. I think all the original companions are pretty good. Zahua and Maneha have a lot of nice world background stuff but don't feel as... relevant... I guess to the game and story as the others.

4) I think Durance and GM were both very much one-offs in how they were done. Kana has a lot of interjections; Devil has a great story.

5)  Monks are very strong. Don't feel like I understand them well enough to really recommend on builds in the way that others probably can.

[claudius]

I played a bit with 2 monks and though I have not an optimized min/max going on I can give my ideas though not specifics unless you really want.

 

For my MC monk I have enough stealth skill to get the first hit off (and scout).  And that draws the fire on this character so I make him more a tank with gear/talents/abilities.  And then the other monk I gave him a lot of things to make him fast and hit with disabling hits or high damage.  So very different characters: tank and 'problem solver'.  The problem solver is called that because you can really get high levels of speed and run down dangerous opponents.  A barbarian might be good with a lot of speed and could make a similar character plan/idea.